Stage 5 - Planting Plan
Although the detailed garden layout plan will show key plants and structural planting, no garden design is ever complete until all of the required plants have been itemised and located on a planting plan. This is a separate blueprint-type document which shows exactly where each plant will be positioned. The planting plan is accompanied by a plant schedule which provides all of the textual information required, including the botanical names and quantities of plants required.
There is a lot to consider when creating a planting plan. I will go through all of this with you in some detail in person, but the main areas of consideration are as follows:
Colour - The colours of the plants we include in your garden design will set the tone of the garden as a whole. Imagine the difference between a garden bursting with reds, oranges and yellows and one populated by blues, greens and lilacs. All sorts of colour schemes can work well, so we need to consider the possibilities carefully.
Texture - The textures of the plants in your garden are also important. Textures can be smooth, rough, prickly, velvety and more, and the way these textures are combined can have a big impact on the way your garden looks as well as feels.
Form - When we consider form we are considering the three dimensional impact of shape and volume on the garden. Our aim to is to find an attractive and satisfying balance between the way a garden looks from afar and the way it is experienced up close when sitting in or walking through it.
Scent - The olfactory senses are extremely sensitive, and we can choose plants to create rich tapestries of scent that perfectly compliment the visual and textural design of the garden.
Seasonality - Our final main area of consideration concerns the seasonality of the plants we use. The aim here is to ensure that the garden is attractive and pleasing all year round, whilst incorporating seasonal plants that provide variety with the natural cycle of growth and bloom.
When we have created a planting plan and plant schedule, we can progress to the sixth and final stage of the garden design process.
Click here for an example Planting Plan
